LinkedIn Audio Events - User Guide

Audio content brings us closer and feels more personal than other mediums. I am drawn to podcasts and audio rooms for the learning and connecting.  Now, I have jumped into LinkedIn’s newest Audio Event feature.  

The actual event feels very similar to a Clubhouse room, but I found it less complicated for the user. And the biggest benefit is that we are staying right HERE on LinkedIn to have an amazing audio experience.

I feel incredibly fortunate to be a BETA tester, which means I can host an audio event now. Everyone can join and speak at an event, so why not jump in and give it a go?  Here is my quick User Guide type summary, based on my experiences so far over the last ten days. Trust me, I don't have answers to all the questions about this right now, but I do know that I am excited to be a tester.

Finding Audio Events

All LinkedIn Audio Events are public. Here are the best three ways to find an event as of this date. I can imagine that these will become easier to find in the future. 

1.     Find Audio (and Other) Events from Search. Use the upper search bar at the top of your LinkedIn home fee; and do an EVENTS search, using the Events search filter shown below. 

2.     Get Invited to Join an Event. You may receive an invitation to join an audio event. This invitation will come through your Network Tab. Right now, the invitations are only coming from BETA testers.

3.     Discover an Audio Event and Join.  You may hear about an audio event from a post in your main home feed.  Or you might receive a direct message or email about an upcoming event. Start following people who host audio events so you will be aware of upcoming opportunities.

Registering and Joining Audio Events

Once you find an interesting audio event, click ATTEND to register. (I do hope this will change to a REGISTER button like the LinkedIn Lives.) 

Choose to save the details to your calendar as a unique entry. You will also have the event saved in the event area of your LinkedIn account, which is on the left side of your home feed directly underneath your groups.

Ready to start the event? Just click JOIN to enter the meeting if the event is happening now.  If you are using mobile, be sure to have the newest LinkedIn app on your device, or you may encounter issues while logging in. 

It’s smart to log in a few minutes early to make sure you have connectivity. You will enter a pre-Live waiting room before the event begins, as shown on the right.  

Leaving is simple; just click leave event.

Sharing Audio Events

Sharing is caring. Once you have registered or joined the event, consider sharing as a message or a post.  You may also send out a Tweet or Facebook post, by using the Share button as shown on the left.

Engage and Learn – During the Event

Find the host and speakers featured on the stage at the top of the screen.  You will enter as a listener. You can raise your hand, which serves as a request to join the LinkedIn event stage. Try it!  You can also leverage the reactions icons to share your sentiments during the program, as shown here at the bottom of the display. Click on React. This image is from my first test run event. My friend @Barbara Hannan helped me out and lots of terrific folks showed up for the test. Thanks Barb and friends!

Speak – Be a Thought Leader – Raise Your Hand

There are three ways you can speak. First, the host has speaking privileges and selects the other speakers featured at that event. You might be a planned speaker; in which case the host has invited you to share the stage for the event.  This is usually done in advance so that both or all speakers can promote and invite people in advance. Arrive a bit early and be ready to raise your hand.

Alternatively, you might be a spontaneous speaker who raises the hand icon (bottom right side of the live event page) and gets accepted up on stage. 

You will need to un-mute yourself. This is a quick two-step process. First click on unmute button (look low), and then LinkedIn asks you for your permission to access your microphone. (Look high) 

How do you stop speaking and go back to the audience? Click on your profile. 

Host – Be a Thought Leader

Currently, hosting events are only available for the BETA testers, but I hope everyone will have this feature soon. Those of us who do have it now feel very lucky.  

To create an audio event, you need to go to your event tab on the left side of your home feed. Find it under Groups.  Create a new event with the plus sign and select the audio option from the dropdown. 

Be sure to fill out all the pertinent information in the event description, including an image. Now you are ready to activate the event, create a post, invite friends and colleagues, and generally promote the opportunity to your network. 

Expand Your Network and Visibility

LinkedIn Audio Events are a fabulous way to network and be more visible.  

Check out the networking tab in each event. You will find it segments the registrants into personalized lists for you which are organized by: 

👉 First level connections

👉 University connections

👉 Geography

👉 Industry

Let’s warm up your network. Invite your friends to join specific events to participate in a shared experience.  Feel free to engage with your colleague during the event with messaging or texts.

Consider posting about the event, which can be before or after. You can check out profiles, connect, and send messages during the event – all without leaving. Of course, being an active participant goes a long way, so use the reactions and raise your hand to speak if you feel you can contribute to the conversation.

Analytics

Check out the event analytics for the events you host.  Discover the visitor and attendance metrics.  This screenshot is the analytics of my Audio Events Mini - Test Meeting.

Three Final Tips

👉 Jump right in and plan to attend! Consider raising your hand to speak. Ask a question or add your insights to the conversation. Use the LinkedIn Audio Events feature as a place to learn and network at the same time.

👉 To optimize your experience, make sure your browser is refreshed and your app is up to date.

👉 Have patience since this feature is in BETA 😀

I look forward to your thoughts about LinkedIn Audio Events. What say you?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ready to learn more?

1.    Subscribe to this free newsletter called Sandra’s LinkedIn newsletter so that you will receive the subsequent editions! Find the subscribe button above ⬆️ or here.

2.    Follow (me) Sandra Long and Post Road Consulting for more LinkedIn ideas, strategies, and tips. And I hope you will ring the bell 🔔 at the top of my profile to receive individual notifications when I post.

3.    Read my book: LinkedIn for Personal Branding: The Ultimate Guide. Here are a few Amazon links to make it easy. 🇺🇸 USA Amazon.com 🇨🇦 Canada Amazon.ca 🇬🇧 UK Amazon.co.uk 🇦🇺 Australia Amazon.com.au 🇮🇳India Amazon 🇮🇹 Italy Amazon.it

 Please connect with me to discuss opportunities at YOUR company. 

 I look forward to all comments